Bamburgh Sprint Triathlon 2012

After a couple of hours biking yesterday morning, spent yesterday afternoon watching the young 'un doing the Bamburgh Sprint Triathlon. Marvelled at the stamina and power of some of those out front. Spoilt for choice for backdrops on a lovely cool evening at the most picturesque village in the County. More Photos on Flickr.

Northumberland Coastal Run 2012

I have been accused more than once of having a cavalier attitude to racing, especially in recent years as I parade around taking photos and listening to my ipod. I’m not sure why having two wires attached to your ears should slow you down but some of luddites out there are convinced it would be better for me to hear the rasping sound of Oxygen stripping my lungs than the mellow tones of Gilbert O' Sullivan (too young?...never mind).

Yesterday, I was out with the gang doing 35 miles on two wheels. On a lovely summers’ day, I thought I’d go for a cheap laugh and after I took a long swig from my water bottle I chucked it across the road (as per Le Tour), only for one of the lads to stop and pick it up. I did it later on again after explaining what effect I was trying for, and again it was retrieved for me.  

Today 900 of us lined up for the Northumberland Coastal Run. I aimed for a sub 1:28, but feeling a perky headwind I downgraded to 1:29. I was caught out at the start, busy at the back ‘chatting on’ as they say. I decided early on running across the wet sand and thin rivulets that I was going for the bunny hop approach. It’s a mystery to me why so many runners don’t take more time to draft or tuck in behind other runners in a head-or-side wind. It’s even more bonkers that when in a group of 3, that the other 2 run at the side rather than work together into the wind, but I suppose everyone has a choice.

I was soon passing then resting up for half a minute then passing, then resting...you’ve got the idea and moved across the polished round cobbled track that surrounds the remains of the picturesque Dunstanburgh Castle at 5 miles in 33 minutes. I grabbed a bottle of water at the first bottle stop and kept it with me, coiffing sips in a measured way as the sun broke through the grey sky.

 Gradually, runners became harder to pass, gaps more difficult to bridge, the tarmac softer like soup and the long grass along the edges of the tracks grasped at your ankles like something out of a B movie. At Craster, around halfway there wasn’t a kipper in sight and I’d finished my water. As the onlookers cheered, I nodded to a couple, shook my empty water bottle. They caught my drift and  nodded so, at last, I threw it at a low angle skidding across the asphalt. What am I like?

A leggy North Shields (NSP) runner came past me at 10 miles and I couldn’t hang in, but was soon on the back of another NSP athlete so that was fair, I thought. At 11 miles we hit the beach for the last 2 miles and the wind was up. With no-one to shelter behind, I had to plod across the firm sand not gaining anything on NSP man ahead. If I had been a rich man at the start, the course had picked me up, turned me upside down and shaken me until all my change had dropped onto the ground. Penniless. Meanwhile, NSP kept looking behind and with 200m to go I took a leaf out of his book and peered over my shoulder only to see 2 lads hot on my heels, and one of them a clubmate. Zut Alors. I dug in and crossed the line in around 1:30 (30th-ish) and tres fatigue.   

A pint in the Red Lion and a slice of team prize soon had me banged to rights and it was back to the house to see le Tour des Brittaniques.  Tres bon.  Photos soon on Flickr. Results at Alnwick Harriers Site soon.  (Winner's Ian Harding and Jane Hodgson pictured above)-Thanks to Lorna M for the photos and taxi.

Sunderland 5k

The 5k race at Silksworth on the edge of Sunderland has a reputation for being a fast course. This is on account of 500metres of downhill at the start. However, tonight the wind was up a little and the crowd of 250 runners had to work hard to achieve any glory. Having spent 7 hours in the car beforehand, I was still feeling, surprisingly, quite chirpy as we collected our numbers and I was aiming for a sub-18 minute run, which should be in the bounds of possibility.  We went hell for leather down the hill upon hearing the whistle and with the ‘ski-ramp start’ out of the way,  it was head down into the wind for the two laps around the park. The first kilometre was cracked in 3:26 but I steadily slowed to complete the 4^th kilometre in 3:47. I thought I was on for a good time. With no more 'go-juice' in the tank, I found myself surrounded in the last 500m by 3 women who were have their own competition for 3^rd place. Needless to say they all got passed me as the needles on my eye-dials read ‘empty’.  It was 17:57 by my watch on the line and 17:59 on the results sheet which, all in all, I was quite happy with.

I’ve entered the Coastal Run between Beadnell and Alnmouth on Sunday; Its only the second time I’ll have done this, so quite looking forward to it. Having just come back from a week in Picardie where I gave the wine a body swerve, I think there’s a little form returning, so might stretch my legs on a Hill run soon.   I’ll take the camera on Sunday.  

Newcastle Cyclone Sportive

It was a pretty relaxed affair at the start of the 104 mile sportive. The weather was blustery but the sun made an appearance and it was dry. The Cyclone sets off from a rugby ground in Newcastle and winds its way around central Northumberland taking in any medium sized and big hill the organisers can find.

I said hello to most I recognised early on, although with many in skid-lids and shades, its not always easy to see who's who. There was a healthy tailwind for the first 20 miles and we fairly flew up the lanes. As the mileage increased and the wind direction changed things got tougher, but I was in good spirits and had a fast 60 miles before I began to feel the pace. I had latched on to the Breeze Bikes crowd and then later we caught up with the Steels lads at Rothbury. After an awful climb out of Bellingham I spent time with a couple from the Sunderland Clarion around Wark. The weather was great in places and made for a good day out.

I had to walk up the last 30metres of the last big climb as a result of being overgeared, and was later dragged ignominously through the villages for the last 10 miles when I admitted defeat. 6hr.22min (6:14 of riding) and 8000 calories and I'll sleep well tonight.

Don't ignore the omens...

I should have taken more notice of the omens. Heron on the roof, jackdaw creeping around the garden, a condor in the garage, not to mention the dancing bears....and then the rain came. The wettest June on record. Yesterday as the lightening struck, I hid in the car as the Supercell above did its worst to make the town an island. Afterwards, five of us managed 7 miles wading through rivers and brown pools of water that had formed across depressions in the lanes.

After traversing the first knee high pool, it actually got quite enjoyable and two of the lads who were knocking out minute intervals were seen plunging half way through the water before pulling up (or is that pooling up). Tomorrows cyclone sportive will be a good day out and at 104 miles and 7000ft of ascent I might be inclined to stop for a pot of tea halfway round. No gold medal chasing for me.    

Hold up at the Eildon Hill Race!

As I approached Melrose from the south the sky was a ragged mess with low grey cloud set in a petrol blue backdrop. I arrived at the Rugby Club HQ and signed on upstairs (for a change).

As with any short race that’s made up of a steep climb (450m) followed by a steep descent, the Eildon Hill race is a tough way to spend half an hour. The other 81 competitors probably shared that view.

Reading my own blog entries I seem to spend more than a little time in my head and today I tried not to internalise the anticipation.  We gathered for the Gala Harriers affair on St Dunstan’s Green where the kids were having their sack races and sprints.  At around 3pm when the race was due to start, a small troop of girls danced a maypole and then something else to the accompaniment of an accordion, so it was possibly 15 minutes later that we eventually got off the line. 

Once round the green then up the high street to encouragement from the locals and tourists. From there, it’s a straight climb to the first hill where I was told I was 15^th having been just passed by a Shettleston lad. I caught him on the dip before the second hill and was then caught, in turn, by Charlotte Morgan and another. They seemed to be having a bit of a chat which was a bit of a liberty (in my book), considering I was having problems breathing, never mind forming words.  There was then a split as we climbed the second short, blaeberry and heather clad hill with some opting for the track and some for the A1 direct route. I went for the latter, then, halfway up, saw from those coming up the track that the track route was marginally quicker (or was it just me going marginally slower). A further 4 got past me on the second climb near the top where I checked my watch and thought Kenny Stuart would have been finished by now!  

I caught my breath and took flight down the hill taking my chances firstly with the angular red scree. Further down things were also interesting and going sideways at speed in the puddles and red brown mud seemed 'de rigueur' but I managed to pass 4 in the process. Glendinning of Bellahouston was just ahead of me at the bottom of the wooden steps and he must have been working hard as he overhauled a young Carnethy back on the town fringes, but no such luck for me as we finished with a lap around the rugby pitch... murder, that flat ground after a red-lining descent.

18^th in the end in 36:03...B-...'Could do better.' Good spread of grub afterwards and a mooch around the dinky, but well appointed (as estate agents would say) town centre made it a good workout on a blustery afternoon.  This is a good event by Gala.

Carnethy’s Paul Faulkner won in 31.09 from Brian Marshall (HELP 32:51) and former winners Damon Rodwell 3rd and Moorfoots Mike McGovern 4^th.  Charlotte finished 14^th and 1^st lady (35:38) from 2^nd place Fiona Dalgleish of Gala  38:56.           

Newburn River Run

It was a warm night. Not warm enough to be sultry. There was just enough of a breeze to blow 300 or so runners into Newburn for the River Run, a 6.6mile 'delight' of tarmac and rough track up and down the Tyne. Half the family were there running, so I was on my best behaviour, warming up, no ipod. I was meditating on my impending performance like I meant it. I had written down 3 words that I wanted imprinted into my head and sat in the car staring at them. This would be how my run would be.  Anything within the top 30 or under 40 minutes would be fine, I mused.

As we surged away at the start under the trees beside the brewery with a small crowd of onlookers present, I was aware that there were more than a few nemesii (plural) out there around me.   I needed a decent run to show that last week’s 10k was just a blip. I soon caught up with two clubmates after a kilometre. The pace was pretty quick but I felt reasonable and eased into the group and sat in. I was, it had to be said working pretty hard though and I was monitoring my breathing.  After a while I heard the voice in my head at 2 miles saying ‘you’ll never keep this up for 6 miles...’.and then another one said'..and this race is longer than 6 mile'. Some sort of mental double act. an act I could do without. I was matching the first lady, Jane H, step for step, but not for long.

The 3 mile mark arrived quickly, mostly as a result of my attention being focused on the rhythm of the Birtley's runner's feet and trainers in front. We were knocking out 6 minute miles which, these days, is at the top end of my ability for anything more than 5k.

After crossing the bridge and heading back down the Tyne on the other bank I began to toil. I tucked in behind an Elswick runner and was passed by three. My resolve was fading. I kept repeating the mantra I'd learnt in the car 'flow..smooth...breathe', but somehow in my state of exhaustion it had become ‘slow..smooth...beer’.  I struggled between 4 and 5miles where an Alnwick runner came past and pulled away without a by-your-leave and the Elswick runner who I'd been clinging on to took off with him.
But over the pontoon bridge at 6 mile I rallied a little and began to feel a bit better (probably cause I could see the end) and held on for the last stretch past the houses and back into the car park.  
30^th and 40:13 (6:06/mile). This is the 3^rd time I’ve ran Newburn and had ran something like 39:20 back in 2005. But I was younger then. So were we all...
And yes, I did have a slow, smooth beer at the end.